Author: Freddie Atkins

Suspects allegedly interfered with EU Sakharov Prize nominations to help foreign governments, leaked police files suggest. The EU’s highest honor for human rights work was targeted by an allegedly corrupt network operating on behalf of foreign governments at the heart of the European Parliament, according to a cache of leaked documents. The annual Sakharov Prize was among the aspects of parliamentary work mentioned in a file where one of the key suspects logged activities that were allegedly part of the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the EU’s Parliament. The award, which hands €50,000 to an individual or group that has…

Donald Trump won Arizona, the final state to be called in the US presidential election, marking a clean sweep of all seven battleground states. The Associated Press said it called the state for Trump on Saturday night as his current lead of about 185,000 votes there has put it out of reach for Vice President Kamala Harris. Joe Biden had flipped Arizona in 2020. Retaking Arizona and its 11 electoral votes brings Trump’s total to 312, compared with 226 for Harris. The other swing states are Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump emerged from Tuesday’s election in a stronger position than expected and…

NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg reminded the United States that it needs allies more than ever as foreign ministers marked the 75th anniversary of the alliance on Thursday in Brussels. NATO has expanded since Russia invaded Ukraine, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Ukraine will join. “Europe needs North America for its security,” Stoltenberg said Thursday at a ceremony at NATO’s headquarters on the second day of a two-day summit of foreign ministers aimed at shoring up support for Ukraine. “At the same time, North America also needs Europe. European allies provide world-class militaries, vast intelligence networks…

When the Rev. Silvio Báez finished his homily on a recent Sunday, applause broke out among the hundreds of faithful in St. Agatha Catholic Church, on the outskirts of Miami, that has become the spiritual home of the growing Nicaraguan diaspora. For the auxiliary bishop of Managua, his fellow priests and many worshippers who have fled or been exiled from Nicaragua recently, the Sunday afternoon Mass is not only a way to find solace in community. It’s also a means of pushing back against the government’s violent suppression of critics, including many Catholic leaders. “For me, it’s the moment when…

The US State Department announced on Tuesday that Angjushev, who is also a prominent businessman, is being designated as “generally ineligible for entry into the United States”, due to “his involvement in significant corruption”. “While serving as Deputy Prime Minister, Angjushev abused his official position to benefit his private business interests, undermining the confidence of North Macedonia’s public in their government institutions and public processes,” the State Department said in a statement. The statement said that the ban on Angjushev, which also extends to his immediate family, meaning his wife and two sons, serves to demonstrate that “the United States stands…

Unіvеrѕіtу оf Веlіzе’ѕ Еnvіrоnmеntаl Rеѕеаrсh Іnѕtіtutе hоѕtеd а Маrіnе Dаtа Маnаgеmеnt Wоrkѕhор. Тhіrtу раrtісіраntѕ frоm оvеr 15 оrgаnіzаtіоnѕ раrtісіраtеd. Тhе wоrkѕhор іѕ раrt оf thе Rееf Rеѕіlіеnсе Іnіtіаtіvе рrојесt. Тhе wоrkѕhор аіmеd tо еquір mаrіnе rеѕеаrсhеrѕ аnd соnѕеrvаtіоnіѕtѕ wіth ѕkіllѕ nееdеd tо еffесtіvеlу mаnаgе mаrіnе dаtа, frоm соllесtіоn оf dаtа іn thе fіеld thrоugh tо аnаlуѕіѕ. Раrtісіраntѕ gаіnеd vаluаblе іnѕіghtѕ іntо dаtа mаnаgеmеnt uѕіng tооlѕ lіkе R аnd RЅtudіо. Quаlіtу dаtа аnd dаtа mаnаgеmеnt іѕ сruсіаl fоr іnfоrmеd dесіѕіоn-mаkіng kеу tо рrеѕеrvіng оur mаrіnе есоѕуѕtеmѕ. Тhе Еnvіrоnmеntаl Rеѕеаrсh Іnѕtіtutе ехtеndеd grаtіtudе tо аll раrtnеrѕ аnd оrgаnіzеrѕ оf thе еvеnt. Source…

Belize on Tuesday suspended diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the second Latin American nation to sever ties in the wake of the country’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Citing what it called “unceasing indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza, Belmopan withdrew its welcome to the Israeli ambassador, Einat Kranz-Neiger, and announced it had withdrawn the request for accreditation of its honorary consul in Tel Aviv. Since October 7, “Israel has consistently violated international law,” a Belize statement alleged.1/2Skip A Bolivia broke relations with Israel on November 1, accusing Israel of “carrying out crimes against humanity,” while Colombia, Chile and Honduras have all recalled their…

(NEXSTAR) — If you live anywhere near this Texas area, it might be worth picking up groceries while you’re around. That’s according to the Council for Community and Economic Research, which recently released its Quarter 2 2023 Cost of Living Index. The index compares the after-tax cost of living of 274 participating urban areas based on six different categories. One Texas city was only just beaten for the top spot on the council’s list of 10 least expensive places for grocery items. Texans, it turns out Cedar Park in Central Texas has the second least-expensive groceries of the U.S. areas covered…

It’s been a long, hot, and, in some cases, expensive summer – especially if you enjoyed a few international trips. Now that fall is just about here, it’s time to enjoy cooler temperatures, quieter destinations, and travel that has less impact on your wallet. But despite fall being the shoulder season for many locations, you may still need to be savvy and seek out off-path locations to find an affordable getaway. If you’d like to visit an interesting and inspiring travel destination but don’t have a huge budget, then a recent study that revealed the least expensive destinations in the United States may be…

EL AL Israel Airlines has been expanding its US route network, recently adding a sixth destination with potential plans for a seventh. Next year, the carrier also plans to increase frequencies. All flights to the US are currently operated by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with as many as 70 million available seat miles (ASMs) offered on its most popular route. The airline hopes to increase its passenger numbers by more than seven million over the next five years. Six US destinations According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, EL AL serves Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New York…